


Pretty Thoughts

by dragonswithjetpacks



Series: Ferelith Moonshade - The Book Keeper [2]
Category: Baldur's Gate, Forgotten Realms
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Game Conversations, Game Retell, Hint of Lust, casual conversation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28876815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonswithjetpacks/pseuds/dragonswithjetpacks
Summary: Ferelith finds herself stranded on a beach surrounded by fire and debris. Confused and alone, she finds companions with the same condition. The tadpole. Determined to rid the worm from their minds, they band together. Though one companion is determined to make a larger impression in thoughts than the tadpole itself.
Relationships: Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character(s), Astarion/Female Charname (Baldur's Gate)
Series: Ferelith Moonshade - The Book Keeper [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092497
Kudos: 16





	1. READ ME PLS

I am converting these chapters over to a better, longer, more time consuming fanfic. Slowly, I'll be taking down these chapters as they get integrated with the new one. I'm leaving the old ones up here in the mean time for others to enjoy. But I highly recommend getting into Theurgist. You can probably just go over there, get caught up, and then swing back here. Or you could wait until I get everything settled. I will say the last couple of chapters in this fic will remain the same. But there will be a lot more added such as dialogue with other characters, the venture through the temple, a scene that I _completely_ forgot to write, and other snarky and flirtatious comments. 

Thanks for reading!

I appreciate you all!


	2. A Hand of Caution

Ferelith jumped, her feet landing hard on the rock surface below. She felt a shift and a piece crumbled off, rolling down the steep hill toward the river. It was close, but she remained unscathed. Taking another step forward, she felt the ground rumble. Her eyes widened. The front half of the cliff began to roll forward. She jumped backward, sliding to the side and losing balance. She reached up to grab the rock wall behind her. But felt the firm grasp of a hand. She looked up seeing Astarion reaching down with another hand. She grabbed it, feeling the rest of the dirt turn loose under her feet. She kicked up, walking up the wall as he pulled her. It seemed to be safe until she reached the top, rocks tumbling followed by the collapse at the base. She staggered for a moment, only brought back to balance with a hand on her shoulder. Her hand reached out, hitting him in the chest. But he had caught her. And she was stable once again. They looked over the edge, watching the rocks tumble down to the river below.

"You should be more careful," he chided her quietly.

Ferelith's head snapped, feeling the need to lash out from her insecurities. Her strength was not in her hands and she had lost a moment of grace. But she certainly did not recall asking for help. And she was ready to inform him he had caught her a moment to soon when she saw the concern on his face. It made her hesitate, and though he did seem quite distressed, she was fascinated by the idea of Astarion caring. Not that he hadn't put for the effort before. But it always came as a bit of a shock when he did.

"Ferelith!"

She pulled herself with a frustrated groan, much to the satisfaction of her savior. Looking back down, Lae'zel was shouting up the bank. She, along with Gale, had safely made it to the water's edge where Ferelith and Astarion could see them.

"I'm alright," she replied.

"This path is out of commission, I think," Gale called up. "That slide took out any way down from there."

"Shit," Ferelith mumbled under her breath. "Alright. Just... Just wait there. We'll find another way."

"Not a problem," he gave a salute from below.

Ferelith dusted her gloves off on her pants and grumbled as she scraped the mud that had caked on her boots onto a nearby tree. Astarion watched, only grateful that it was her and not him who had slid down the hill.

"I suppose I should thank you," she turned to him when she was finished, still full of irritation.

"I suppose you should," he crossed his arms.

Astarion waited, but the roll of her eyes accompanied by a half smile told him he would not be receiving such gratitude today.

"We should get moving," she stated.

"That didn't sound appreciative at all," he complained, remaining at a standstill.

"It wasn't supposed to."

"Oh, well it's a shame that my hand might just _slip_ the next time you need someone to catch you."

"I don't need you to catch me," she stuck her chin out as she walked by. "Besides, if it wasn't for my footing, I would have drug you into that river with me."

"That would be unwise," he pitched in behind her.

"Little choice you have when taking my hand."

"Yes, I suppose I'll have to remind myself of the never ending uncertainty that follows you."

"Ah, but what fun would it be if you were certain?" she grinned, spinning around with her arms out while taking a few steps backward.

"Aha..." he chuckled, trotting behind her and watching the waves of her hair bounce as she turned her back to him. "That is a fair point. And, say, where does this hand hand take me now?"

"To find a way down. To rejoin the others," she panted while hiking up the steep hillside.

"Just you and I? Through the forest?" he came to a sudden halt.

"Is that a problem?" Ferelith stopped as well when she had gotten solid footing.

"No," he shook his head. "No complaints here."

"Then let's go," she motioned to the forest floor up the hill above them.

With a heavy sigh, he prepared himself for a hike he had not anticipated that morning. "After you... my lady..."

* * *

"So," Astarion breathed heavily as they had been walking quietly for several minutes through forest. "You're from Baldur's Gate."

"I am," Ferelith replied, walking a good few feet ahead, focused on their trek.

"Any... family?"

She stopped, turning around to look at him curiously. "Are you making small talk to fill the silence?"

"No," he frowned while shaking his head. "Maybe I want to know more about you."

Ferelith scrunched her nose. "No you don't."

"Sure I do," he waved his hands. "We've known each other four at least three days, now. And you've barely said a thing."

"I know very little of you and I don't have any issues with it," she waited for him to catch up.

"But you do know a little."

"I'm not that interesting," she replied, still making her way up the hill.

"I disagree. I think you're fascinating. And that you're lying."

She stopped again, turning around so fast he nearly ran into her.

"You think _I'm_ lying?" she followed the question with a laugh before resuming her walk.

"Tell me how boring you are, then. What did you do in Baldur's Gate?"

"I was a book keeper."

"Book keeper?" he responded in a disgusted way. "That does sound boring. Family business?"

"No."

"Do you have family?"

"No."

"Friends?"

"One or two."

"Sweethearts?"

"Definitely not."

"Shame," he muttered under his breath.

"Are you done with your interrogation?"

"If I must," there was a long drawn out sight between his words. "I only thought if we were alone we could make some use of it."

Ferelith came to a stop in the middle of the trail. There was something off to the side in the brush. Something that had been covered poorly. As she approached it, there was something strange about the way it was arranged. She uncovered it to find a boar, perfectly healthy but quite dead.

"That's strange," she looked over it.

Astarion, who approached but remained a bit of distance away, crossed his arms.

"The pig's dead, my friend. Staring at it won't bring it back. Come," he beckoned her, drawing her attention back to himself. "We'll never stop these brainworms if we stop and gawked at every piece of carrion you find."

The change in his tone alarmed her. He did not seem so rushed before. No, he seemed invested. It struck her as odd he would be ushering her along. She looked back down to the boar, noticing it had not been dead for very long. Not even a day. And there were two small marks at it's neck.

"You don't find this remarkably odd... at all?"

"No," he shrugged. "Is it not dead enough for you?"

"Look at the damn boar, Astarion," she motioned in front of her. "Don't you see anything?"

She watched carefully as he stepped closer to her, looking down at the dead beast. His shoulders relaxed. He took a deep breath with a look of defeat.

"It's been drained of blood with wounds it's neck," he pointed out.

The shift in tone. The distracting conversation. Ferelith crossed her arms.

"You're not tell me something."

"I..." he hesitated. "It's been killed by a vampire."

"A vampire?" she rose her brow in disbelief.

"I didn't want to say anything," he said solemnly. "Because I didn't want to worry you. They are _ferocious_ creatures."

"And you know about vampires?" her head tilted to the side.

"I do, unfortunately," he nodded. "But don't worry. I'll keep watch tonight. We won't have to worry about nocturnal visitors. Now please, let's go."

He motioned her forward with his hands.

"Why? Does this bother you?" she asked, looking back down to the boar.

"Not at all," he shook his head with a convincing grin. "I just want to keep moving. Before it gets dark."

Astarion was right. The sun was starting lower itself from the center of the sky. If she wanted to search the forest, she would have to move quickly in order to get to camp before nightfall. She looked over the boar one last time. But saw nothing else unusual. And even though she was unsure of her companion's intentions, she was still not convinced he was guilty of anything at all. While his strange behavior was enough for her to pause, it was not enough at all for accusations to be thrown. She left it to the thought that perhaps there was something more to him he was not yet willing to share. And for that... she did not blame him.

"Alright," she nodded. "Let's find the others."

* * *

"Still awfully steep, isn't it?" Astarion looked down the path.

"It's not too bad," Gale shrugged. "At least it's not as far down. Or covered in mud."

"I'm tired of waiting," Lae'Zel sighed. "Either get down here or I'm going in the cave alone."

"No need to rush," Astarion sighed.

With a few hops, he managed to climb down the rocky path. The soil was by far more sturdy and he barely felt the rocks shifting beneath his feet at all. It was as if the stones were placed there like stairs for that very purpose. He smiled with a bit of relief, eyeing the stream running nearby. He was glad they found the bridge when they did in order to cross over. Lae'zel wasn't too please with crossing through the river, but it was most amusing listening to her curse as her boots were drenched in the cold water. Ferelith followed behind him shortly, though not as quick as she was not nearly as nimble. She was however, graceful with steps. Her stance was well balanced. And they all watched as she carefully made her way down. Lae'Zel and Gale eventually turned, assuming she would be close behind. As reached the bottom, Astarion held his hand to her to bring onto the bank. She looked at it suspiciously.

"I know you don't need it," he said softly to where she would be the only one to hear. "But with your optimistic promise of uncertainty, I'll gladly offer a hand where it seems fit."

"Strangely charming of you," she eyed his hand carefully. "But what sort of guide would I be if I declined?"

She rested her hand in his, feeling his hand gripping hers, and suddenly, she felt a swirl of old memories. The tadpole was stirring something inside her. She was on a marble staircase. Coming down, she could see the back of someone. They turned, but she couldn't quite make the face. Then they held out their hand. The hand that she was holding... the face that appeared... Astarion... She took it stepping down from the last stair into a room filled with debutantes. But their eyes were only on each other. Reality flashed back into a burst of greenery around her. But he was still there, his brow lowering out of of concern as her eyes filled with bewilderment. He felt the weight of her in his hand and he, too, caught a glimpse of his own life that was once more luxurious. However, the moment her feet touched the ground, their fantasy disappeared. And they stood staring at one another on the bank of unknown forest floor.

"A cautious one," he finally replied as things cleared around them.

She took her hand back, her fingers gliding across his palm, his skin holding onto her warmth for as long as it could. She looked at him a bit longer, wanting to question his statement but unwilling to be left behind. He thought it best to leave her in silence and wait until she was ready to press forward. Ferelith shifted her attention to her other comrades. And they pressed forward once again. She was unsure of what sort of connection had been made. But it the familiarity in the moment was all too disturbing.


	3. His Lies, Her Resentment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out way fluffier than I imagined. But I like it. I almost wanted to make this it's own separate thing. Enjoy my confused babes trying to sort through their angry thirsty feelings for each other.

The worm twisted. And turned. It fed on thoughts, memories, ones that held no happiness in her head. A dark creature in the wood. A dead animal. A hand full of blood. A paper with black scratches across it. She turned as every single image flashed by. Sleep was not coming. And there was no voice to steady her muttering thoughts. A creeping feeling spread from the base of her neck into her skull. She opened her eyes, feeling the urge to roll over. She turned, meeting the red eyes of a very close Astarion.

"... shit," he said flatly.

He leaned back on his haunches with a guilty face, freezing in place with the anticipation of her retaliation. He grimaced at first, knowing fully well he had been caught. Whatever it was he was doing, it was enough to make him recoil in shame. Ferelith pushed herself upward, scooting back to put some distance between them. Astarion stood, stumbling a bit as he did from throwing himself out of balance.

"What the hell are you doing?" she said loud enough to cause Gale to look up from his book.

"No, no. It's not what it looks like. I swear!" Astarion said, his hands up, glancing behind him at the fear of an attack. "I just needed... well..."

Ferelith waited impatiently, her eyes scanning his face as it went into a panic. He still felt as if he could hear her heart. It made the hunger all that much worse. His head dropped, eyes staring hard into the ground. His shoulders slumped. His voice lowered.

"...blood," he finally admitted, his eyes hesitant to meet hers.

The humiliation he felt had transferred over to Ferelith as she realized how dense she must have been for not seeing it sooner. The conversations they had. The misleading and pointless flirtations. The stupid boar in the forest. And if that wasn't enough, his appearance alone should have been proof. She felt ashamed for her own intelligence.

"I knew it," she shook her head aggressively, propping herself up onto her cot. "The moment you saw that boar, I knew you were hiding something."

"It's not what you think," he continued his attempt to defend himself. "I'm not some monster. I feed on animals. Boars. Deer. Kobalds. Whatever I can get."

Ferelith reached up, grabbing the back of her neck as she remembered the sensation her body sent through her spine to warn her. "You... you were going to bite me."

"I wasn't going to hurt you," he reassured her. "I'm just too slow right now. Too weak. If I just had a little blood... I could think clearer. Fight better... please..."

There were too many instances of his deceiving nature running through her head. The persuasiveness. The lies. The hints that she knew she should have heeded.

"Why didn't you ask me?" she questioned, as it was the only thing she could.

"At best, I thought you'd say no. More likely, you'd ram a stake through my ribs."

"Ram a-" she scoffed at him. "You couldn't just tell me?"

"No... I needed you to trust me. And you _can_ trust me," his words dropped into that low tone again, but all she could hear was more lies.

It was the same trick he used before. And regardless of whether or not he was telling the truth now, she only believed it was more of his persuasive tactics luring her to swoon over the sound of his voice.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" she pushed herself up onto her feet.

"Because we don't have choice," he said abruptly, his voice rising. "Not if we're going to save ourselves from the these... worms."

"I'm fairly certain I have a lot of choices right now," she straightening her doublet.

"I need you alive," he changed coarse. "And you need me strong."

He was still unable to identify the feeling he received when he looked at her. Ferelith was scowling, but it was more than that. He couldn't stand the look of her and he glanced away long enough to regain himself.

"Please," he begged, casting aside the seriousness of the matter. "It will only be a taste. I swear. I'll be well. You'll be _fine_. And..." he thought about the look on her face... and the teasing smiles they had shared before... "And everything can go back to normal. I swear."

"You _swear_?" her head dropped but her eyes were still fixated on his. "That's the best you can do?"

He held that gaze for as long as he could before his guilt caused him to look aside. Ferelith saw the weakness, snarling at his cowardly approach and pathetic begging. She looked across the fire to Gale who had been watching intently from his cot, but all together remaining uninvolved. He was interested in what she would do. And a twisted thought curled into her head as she did not care for his judgement.

"I just need time to process this," she shook her head, unable to answer him directly.

She took a step forward, but Astarion swept to the side to block her path.

"This is why I didn't want-"

"Astarion," she said abruptly and harshly, preventing him from speaking further, making him even forget what he had inherently wanted to say. "You've been lying to me and attempting to seduce me in order to gain my trust. How am I supposed to react?"

"What?" he questioned, admittedly confused.

"You've been forthcoming with the flirtations, it's hardly gone ignored. Not mention the tacky comments pulled from cheap romance novels. And the promises of protection? Guarding the camp? They were all lies. Every single one."

"Not all of them," he said desperately, not that she would believe him now.

" _Tch_ ," she cast her head to the side with an eye roll that could send the mountains to the sky.

He glanced down at her crossed arms where she pressed her chest tightly together. His sight craned upward, gazing at her neck, finally landing on her jaw. It was clenched tightly with frustration. Her laugh lines were apparent as she tightened her lips. Her brow pressed down to the bridge of her nose, causing wrinkles to appear across it. Ferelith was not just disappointed he had lied... she was angry. Rightfully so, but still... for odd reasons.

" _You're_ angry because you believe my interest in you was an act," he almost sounded pleased.

"An act?" her head snapped, eyes now wide and focused on him. "You think I'm angry because you played pretend?"

Her hands unfolded and he realized this was far more serious than a temper tantrum. There was a flash of darkness to her eyes. He chose to remain silent, not only for his safety but also out of pure curiosity. He wanted to see how far her anger would take her.

"I might have understood why you lied if not for the way you chose to cover it. You felt as though you needed to toy with my emotions in order for me to trust you. That you could just," she flailed her hands," _roll_ me over like a common tavern whore to get me to go along with anything you said. I'm angry because you couldn't just be honest with the belief that I was worthy of the truth."

Her eyes lightened as the words filtered down, her voice with it. He looked at her... into her. And he could see something else. A reflection of secrets. Ferelith would have known what it was like to keep something hidden. It was what made her the most angry. That perhaps if she knew what he had been going through, she could have sought some solace herself. The book was a heavy burden. And without being able to commune to her patron, she had grown weaker. Now she had to deal with more burdens. More secrets other than her own. More than what she had bargained for.

"I'm angry..." she said after a break of silence, "... because I thought a little better of you. And you proved me wrong."

The muscles in his neck tightened with an unfamiliar feeling. One he could not place. It caused his arms flex, his hands to curl into fists. He was uneasy in his stomach when he looked at her. The face of resentment. He knew the face. But had never had such a reaction to it. It confused him. Infuriated him. He didn't want to look at it.

"And you don't like being wrong..." he spat back at her, bitterly disappointed at her rejection. "Do you, darling?"

"Somehow, I knew you'd turn out to be one hell of a pompous ass, Astarion."

Twice she said his name in anger. And twice it had gotten a rise from him. He clenched his fists, the churning fires in his chest turning as they raged. He had been yelled at for what he could remember of his entire life. But it was always down on him. Never his name. Never out of emotional anger. And never because someone cared. He knew he was supposed to feel guilty. But he didn't. What he felt... instead... was comfort.

"Ferelith," he called after her, not done quite done with their argument.

"I need to think," she shouted back at him. "If I talk to you anymore it'll just..."

Unable to finish her sentence, she bit her lip, shook her head, and left.

* * *

As she approached him, he rose from his cot.

"I'm surprised you're still here," she said calmly.

"I had hopes you'd be back," he seemed nervous. "As naive as that may seem."

After exhaling with a long deep breath, she dropped her shoulders.

"I may not have come to terms with what has happened," she said, eyes still closed. "But I'll give you this. Just this once."

"Really?" he sounded concerned, as if her permission was a trap.

"Yes," she nodded. "I've put some thought into it. And you're right."

"Well," he smirked. "We can just set that aside for later. For now..."

He stepped closer to her, gesturing to his bedroll. Ferelith looked down, then back to Astarion with his extended hand. She took it and he gently squeezed her hand. He guided her over to the blanket where she knelt down and turned her back to him. She pulled her hair to one side.

"Perhaps you should lie back down for this," he suggested, preparing to kneel next to her.

"I don't want to lie down," she lowered her brow.

"Do what you want, but I imagine with losing blood like that you'll feel a bit lightheaded. Perhaps I can hold you?"

"That's a bit... intimate, isn't it?" she was repulsed by the thought.

"Darling, agreeing to give yourself to another person no matter the degree is the greatest form of intimacy there is. If you didn't know this before you agreed, then I don't know what to say. Does the thought concern you?"

It did.

Ferelith had very little of herself to give anymore. But the discomfort was brushed aside. Matters of the heart were not in play. And there was nothing she needed to worry about. How romantic could it be? It's not as if watching a wolf feasting on it's prey was appealing to watch. She shook her head.

"This doesn't need to be so difficult," she situated herself.

"Though that is so very typical of you," he smirked, his knees hitting the ground behind her.

"I suppose," she sighed. "I suppose if you think I'll collapse you may... _hold_ me."

"My hands will behave themselves, you have my word."

Ferelith smirked. The soft tone she had accused of being false had made it's return. She wanted to believe he was willing to be gentle, despite the brutality of the actual deed. He brought a finger to her chin, lifting it to expose her neck. The sight of it tensing before him made him eager. He could hear the singing of heartbeat once again. The excitement was overwhelming. Ferelith shifted as she became uncomfortable under his stare. They were both uncertain of how it would feel. And they both appeared nervous though they dared not to show it. Ferelith swallowed hard and he could see her throat moving as she did. He leaned forward and she felt her face turn flush. His face was close, his mouth slightly parted, eyes fixated on hers. It felt as if she was about to be kissed. Her heart pounded and he could hear it growing louder. But his head dropped. And his mouth struck her neck. The sting of him puncturing her flesh came first. Then the haze of the blood leaving her body followed. It hurt, but only a little.   
What cloaked the pain was the odd sensation of the life being drained from her. Her body leaned into him, feeling part of herself lost as he drank. It felt invigorating. As if everything she wanted to forget was leaving her body. Her eyes grew heavy and she felt herself sway. A hand was placed on her her head while the other wrapped around her waste in embrace. From where his lips connected to her neck started a numbing sensation that began to spread into her shoulder. She held her eyes open to the best of her ability, but she was not going to be able to hold herself up and reached to clutch his arm. Everything became heavy. Black spots filled her eyes as they struggled.

"Alright," she said, squeezing his arm hard. "That's... enough..."

She felt her mouth move but was uncertain if the words came out. The confirmation she needed was Astarion, inhaling quickly to catch the last of her blood. He gasped as he pulled away.

"Of course," the cold sensation crept over as he removed his fangs.

The blackness swelled around her and she felt as if she were floating. Her body was lowered to the ground below. And hovering above her, with his hands gently laying her down, was Astarion. Through the black blur that outlined her vision he was watching her carefully as he lay her into his cot. Tenderly pulling her hair away from her face, he was willing to mind the fresh wounds bleeding on her neck. He pulled a cloth from his pocket, placing it to her neck to stop the bleeding.

"That... that was... amazing," he drew the blood from his mouth with a finger from his other free hand, licking it to savor her taste.

There was still a cloudiness to her sight, but she was able to bring her hand to his. Her intention was to hold the cloth in place. But in her haze, she grabbed his hand. Astarion was unsure how to respond to her touch... and let it linger longer than he should have, admiring the warmth on his cold skin. He pulled has hand away, guiding hers to the marks he had left. He rose up and looked down upon her.

"My mind is finally clear... I feel strong... I feel... happy."

"Let's not get too excited," she said, the will in her clearly stronger than her physical strength. "This was temporary. I'll not be so eager to agree to this again."

Astarion's expression dropped for moment, only to perk back up the appearance. "I wouldn't expect more from you, my dear," he gave a slight blow. "Now if you'll excuse me, you're quite invigorating. But I need something more... filling."

"I didn't imagine I would be enough for you," she blinked. "Go on then. Enjoy the rest of the night."

With his back turned, he looked out into the night. He wondered if he had told her truth, perhaps she would have not been so harsh. It was a mistake... he was more certain of it the longer he lingered on it. But there was no way to portray that to her now.

"This is a gift, you know... I'll not forget it..."

But as she drifted away, drifted back to sleep, she felt the blood rush to warm the rest of her body that had gone cold. All she could think about was the sting on her neck. And the touch of his hands around her body. Laying on his cot was the closest thing she would feel to that again. But it didn't suite him. There was nothing about it that reminded her of him. It didn't smell like him. It didn't feel warm. It just felt like... a blanket. And she fell asleep knowing she would have to crawl back to her side of the fire... eventually...

* * *

Astarion made his way back to camp with a feeling beyond satisfaction. His hunt was successful. But more so, he felt something new in his body. Something stronger. He observed the camp and found that Ferelith was gone. It had been a few hours and he knew she needed very little sleep. He assumed she was off in the wood somewhere when a throat cleared nearby. Gale, sitting at his cot with his book to his side, was looking up at him.

"Astarion," he said, clearly to keep his attention.

"I really don't want to have this discussion with you right now," he shook his head, already tired from the rather eventful evening.

"There _will_ be a discussion..."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter."

"I'm not going to sit here and pretend I didn't see what happened. At the very least, you owe her an explanation."

"Fine, fine," Astarion waved the man away, leading his steps toward his cot.

He did not need much sleep, either. But thought a decent rest would do some good. A chance to let everything sink in. The new blood coursing through him. The thrill of his hunt. The feeling of his new strength. The feeling of her in his arms. The taste of her. He closed his eyes. It was not the first time he had thought about her this way. But he hadn't considered it for some time. She was going to be angry with him in the morning. He was not looking forward to it. So he he lay his down to rest for the night with only pleasant thoughts of her swaying through his mind. As Astarion place his head on the makeshift pillow, he could feel the warmth of where her body was. He could still smell Ferelith on his cot from their exchange. First, he made certain no one was looking. And then, he turned his head, inhaling the fragrance from pillow. It smelled of sage, sweet flowers, and dead wood. How fitting...


End file.
